Bent turns down West Ham

I thought this deserved its own thread.

Very rare in football now for players to turn down the chance to move, especially from a championship club to an EPL club.

But what are the reasons behind this?

Allegedly the salary was £70,000 a week so that can't have been the issue.

My guess is that it was one of loyalty or holding out for a bigger club.

He is the club captain at Charlton so maybe he feels a bit of loyalty to the cause, at the same time, he maybe thinks that an offer may come in from a big four team or maybe Spurs

"My guess is that it was one of loyalty or holding out for a bigger club."

Good guess. He wants to move to Spurs.

How do you know CT? Did he tell you himself?

Option#3: He doesn't want to work with Curbishley again.

According to some news outlets, he doesn't want to work with Curbishley. Maybe he thinks that manager has taken him on as far as he can. Its up to what you read I suppose.

The Sun says Liverpool are after him.

Tweedle wrote:How do you know CT? Did he tell you himself?

Nope, it was just a logical guess. He's hardly going to stay in the Championship, and Tottenham have expressed strong interest. I'm willing to bet 50p that he'll go there, unless a top four club comes in.

Great news for West Ham

Fey wrote:Great news for West Ham

With Ashton and Tevez it seems a bit of a pointless signing - especially as they need serious investment in other areas of the squad.

Bent is a very good player though! He gets seriously underrated by a lot on here.

Sure, he lacks skill and touch, but he has great technique at striking the ball, is one of the best attacking headerers in the EPL and is really fast and strong - the guy will get you goals.

I can see him getting 20 EPL goals this coming season if he moves and gets into the first team

How many will be pk's?

Nah, Bent is EPL good. He needs his space to run though. He isn't giong to outplay or outsmart anyone and he won't penetrate any parked busses (too little space). But put him in a fast paced, preferably countering prem team and he'll still bag 20 goals.

Useless outside of the EPL, but top class within the EPL. A bit like Lampard in that aspect.

In his first season in the EPL, he scored 19 TM with just 2 penalties.

Not sure about this season but think of the 14 he got, 4 were penalites

Very good striker, but 18M is waaay too much.

I think we're all use to the tax because he's a young english talent, but 18M is a bit too much.

We got a striker who's scored 33 goals for 10 Mil, different situation of course, his team wanted to offload him.

As far as WH choice goes i think it's the right choice, Ashton, Tevez, Harewood, Zamora, not all will be there next season, but he (DB) wouldn't be guarenteed a starting spot, which he needs if he is to challenge for a england call up.

Also West Ham are after Jermain Defoe TM, I think he offers West Ham what they need more - they have a lot of good headers and powerful players, what they don't have is a nippy player with good technique

Suppose if WH can afford JD's wages.

Tweedle wrote:Also West Ham are after Jermain Defoe TM, I think he offers West Ham what they need more - they have a lot of good headers and powerful players, what they don't have is a nippy player with good technique

That I get. I simply can't understand why Spurs are after Bent though - Berby and Keane work well. And I don't think they'll pay that much to bench Bent. For immediacy of goals perhpas, but 18mil is alot of money to put someone on the bench. And Bent won't even be that effective in the UEFA cup either.
It just seems like a lot of money to disrupt an established striking partnership and gamble on Bent working out better for them - too much money for minimal goal return improvement in the EPL; it doesn't even guarentee more wins and less draws either. And not fit for UEFA cup.

On another note, why do Spurs also want Smith (for 7-8mil!!!!) if reports are to be believed.

I'm not sure if Spurs do want Bent, I thought it was Liverpool that had feigned interest?

Although by the sounds of things there had been no other bids- might end out with Bent spending a season in the championship

Cause Smith is the natural understudy to Berbatov.

Tweedle wrote:I'm not sure if Spurs do want Bent, I thought it was Liverpool that had feigned interest?

Although by the sounds of things there had been no other bids- might end out with Bent spending a season in the championship

From Charlton's perspective I completely understand why they refuse to sell for a lower price.
If they sell Bent, they'll get 18mil for him and have lots of cash to improve the squad and look to a fast return to the prem.
If they don't sell him, they'll have one of the championships best strikers and at least the goals to push for bouncing straight back up to the prem and its 30mil TV deal.

I'm pretty certain they're looking at it that way. Darren Bent is their golden ticket one way or another.


THe risk with not selling Bent is that if they don't bounce back up immiedtaly or with some goodwill within the second season inthe champs, Bent will want to leave and they won't get that much for him.

Tweedle wrote:

He is the club captain at Charlton so maybe he feels a bit of loyalty to the cause, at the same time, he maybe thinks that an offer may come in from a big four team or maybe Spurs

If he was really loyal to charlton he would have accepted the bid and given them the frightening amount of money

I hope this has nothing to do with us and he is holding out for spurs. I would be devastated if we spent 15 million on darren bent

COTR wrote:

Tweedle wrote:

He is the club captain at Charlton so maybe he feels a bit of loyalty to the cause, at the same time, he maybe thinks that an offer may come in from a big four team or maybe Spurs

If he was really loyal to charlton he would have accepted the bid and given them the frightening amount of money

I hope this has nothing to do with us and he is holding out for spurs. I would be devastated if we spent 15 million on darren bent

Ditto.

I really can't see how Liverpool can be snobs when it comes to strikers.

Bent wouldn't be that bad a buy.

No, he wouldn't, for £9m. But £16m for Bent would be as stupid as paying £17m for Owen.

Parks lives wrote:I really can't see how Liverpool can be snobs when it comes to strikers.

Bent wouldn't be that bad a buy.

End of the day Park, we have to be challenging for the title, that's our aim, and if you're telling me you would sign Darren bent for 16 milliion to help you achieve that then you are crazy

Roger Hunt wrote:No, he wouldn't, for £9m. But £16m for Bent would be as stupid as paying £17m for Owen.

Of course he's not worth £16 million.

However if you fail to sign these players like Villa, Eto'o, Milito etc then he'd be a decent buy for £12 - 14 million. Or maybe £10 - 12 million with added payments based on goals, success etc.

Parks lives wrote:

Bent wouldn't be that bad a buy.

Yeah this is a really convincing sentence spank


leaves you just enough room to slate us if we do pay over the odds for him


unless of course by saying 'he isn't that bad' you are giving him a ringing endorsement

I'd like you to try and find me a few Liverpool fans who think signing Bent would be good idea

IMO he's not worth £14m.

£10m for him as a replacement for Bellamy would be OK, and he would be challenging Crouch and Kuyt for first-team, with Voronin as sub/ cup player.

But in order for us to improve we need someone of a higher calibre.

Roger Hunt wrote:No, he wouldn't, for £9m. But £16m for Bent would be as stupid as paying £17m for Owen.

Not really. What made bidding £17m for Owen stupid were his injuries - on the face of it, he was 25 and could wihout injuries be a fantastic goalscorer.

Liverpool don't deserve Bent to be honest. I hope to God he doesn't go there - all the Pool fans on here seem like a bunch of unnappreciative wankers

He'd easily get 15 goals - outscoring all Liverpool's present strike force - he scores the ugly goals as well as the well taken goals and is a brilliant header of the ball, which would fit into Benitez's tactics

Tweedle wrote:

Roger Hunt wrote:No, he wouldn't, for £9m. But £16m for Bent would be as stupid as paying £17m for Owen.

Not really. What made bidding £17m for Owen stupid were his injuries - on the face of it, he was 25 and could wihout injuries be a fantastic goalscorer.

Liverpool don't deserve Bent to be honest. I hope to God he doesn't go there - all the Pool fans on here seem like a bunch of unnappreciative wankers

He'd easily get 15 goals - outscoring all Liverpool's present strike force - he scores the ugly goals as well as the well taken goals and is a brilliant header of the ball, which would fit into Benitez's tactics

He's basically bellamy but less of a wanker, so how would he get easily 15 league goals

Roger Hunt wrote:

But in order for us to improve we need someone of a higher calibre.

But these higher calibre strikers are not easy to come by. Most of the best strikers are tied up.

I mean Bent won't ever be a World beater but he could easily turn into an Andy Cole type player. Giving you around 20 goals a season.